Tag: Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Education Alum Named Finalist for Georgia Teacher of Year

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alum Brittany Nearhoof has been named as a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Nearhoof, who graduated from NSU in 2011 with a Master’s Degree in Integrated Technology and Teaching and Learning, currently works as an art teacher at McAllister Elementary School in Bryan County, Georgia.

Brittany Nearhoof

Having served as a teacher for 14 years, she said to be recognized at the state level left her feeling both honored and humbled.

“When I met all of my fellow finalists … when I saw everybody in person, my goodness, they’re incredible teachers. And I am sincerely humbled and honored to be among the group.”

Earlier in her career, Nearhoof had been named Teacher of the Year before within a previous school she worked at.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that was just an incredible honor.’ Like, how nice to get this award. And then this time around, when I got it for my school, I thought, ‘Wow, my peers see something in me,’” she said. “When I found out I received it for the state, that has been a surreal experience.”

Nearhoof said part of what made the experience so honoring is that many of her peers and colleagues also in the arts aren’t used to their subject being recognized. She recalled how a veteran art teacher close to retirement told her how proud she is to see visual arts in the spotlight.

Nearhoof said her ultimate goal is to continue being a great educator and learn as much as she can.

“I plan to just continue in the classroom and to continue to grow in my craft,” she said. “And advocate for the arts in schools.”

The official teacher of the year will be named at a gala on June 10.

Good luck Brittany! We are rooting for you!

Posted 05/21/23

Education Alum Starts Educational Consulting Business

Kisha Bellande-Francis, Ed.D.

A doctoral graduate of the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has opened her own educational consulting business.

Kisha Bellande-Francis earned her Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership from NSU in 2018 and has worked in a number of educational roles. She initially began her career as a Speech Language Pathologist before working as a teacher, administrator, and instructional consultant.

“As an administrator, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m making an impact in the whole school. It’s so wonderful. But when I became a consultant, and I was able to travel to different districts in different states, I felt like ‘Oh my Goodness, now I am making a national impact!”

Bellande-Francis now leads her own consulting business, she helps schools and organizations evaluate instructional practices and recommends areas for improvement. She has been consulting since 2015, but started her own business in 2022 and expressed that the feeling of being on her own has been liberating.

“It’s just been a pleasure because I really get to bring my vision to my practice. I have closer relationships with district and school leaders, and nothing beats that.

Bellande-Francis said her degree from Nova helped prepare her for this role by extending her capabilities through using research as a meaningful way to help her clients.

“It’s opened my eyes to look at challenges in a way of questioning, investigating, and collecting data to leverage the results towards growth and impact.”

When it comes to the future, Bellande-Francis is open to a variety of possibilities, however, there is an ultimate goal that she does dream about: opening her own school, and she has even collaborated with FCE&SCJ Dean Kimberly Durham about it.

“I started the process and was on my way to establishing my own school in 2020 but when COVID hit everything halted. The dream is still in my heart and something that I hope to achieve one day. I have reimagined what schools can look like. I want to implement my vision of a competency-based school that removes “grade level” barriers and allows each individual student the opportunity to excel at their own pace and reach their absolute fullest potential, especially in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) aspects.  I want to apply my experience and talents in my own school and allow all of the best teaching practices to blossom in one place.”

Posted 05/08/23

Education Alum Appointed to 2 Roles at a Chicago University

A doctoral graduate from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has been appointed to two different leadership roles at a Chicago university.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D., was recently named the Assistant Dean for the College of Education and the Director of the Center for Christian Education at Concordia University Chicago.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D.

“With 28 years of urban education experience, [Gerner] continues to propel forward innovative and engaging educational strategy with the goal of success for all students,” the university said in a press release.

Gerner himself said getting the position was exciting and he appreciated being recognized as a good fit for the role.

“They valued the education experiences I had, and it was a good challenge to look forward and be somewhere where they supported this idea of continually getting better really focusing on becoming a premier university to all students,” Gerner said.

In his role as the Director for the Center for Christian Education, Gerner will work to serve as a catalyst and find opportunities for faith-fueled education in the community.

But in addition to these two roles, Gerner is also the CEO for the Center for Urban Education Ministries. Despite three intensive roles, Gerner said he is ready to take them on.

“It’s three distinct roles, but as much as we can, we can meld them together to really line up the arrows in the same direction,” he said. “I feel it’s part of what Nova prepared me for, to keep moving forward with all the different various workloads.”

Gerner earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from NSU in 2010. He said his ultimate goal is make sure all students are successful academically.

“Whether it’s leveling the playing field, whether it’s giving opportunities, the end goal to be seen across our country is making sure all students can be successful.”

Congratulations and Fins Up to you!

Posted 05/07/23

Education Doctoral Alum Named VP of Student Affairs in Texas

Jason Abreu, Ed.D.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate Jason Abreu, Ed.D., has been named the Vice President of Student Affairs at Tarrant County College – Trinity River Campus in Fort Worth, Texas.

Abreu graduated from NSU with his Masters in Leadership and an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. His duties involve managing the experience for students beyond the classroom, including advising, financial aid, mental health, student life and activities, and more.

Abreu has been serving in the role since January, and he said he is enjoying the experience.

“I am thrilled to join an institution that values and places the student journey at the forefront. TCC personifies a first-class experience for students and the excitement is palpable” Abreu said.

All-in-all, Abreu said he hopes to truly make the student experience better for incoming, current, and graduating students.

“How can we increase our retention and graduation rates? How can we elevate the student experience to ensure goals are accomplished and workforce needs are met?” Abreu mentioned. “Lastly, we must focus on expanding resources. Right now, students are dealing with housing insecurities, food insecurities, inflation, mental health and other aspects that are impacting their educational journey. It is our responsibility to leverage the appropriate resources.”

This fits very much with Abreu’s own philosophy and personal story focused on educational accessibility and opportunity.

“Through higher education, I was able to see the world from a different lens and through this space, I am able to give back. Open access and equitable opportunities for a high quality educational experience is my motto,” Abreu said.

Congratulations on your new role Jason Abreu!

Posted 04/23/23

Kappa Delta Phi Chapter Recognized for Community Service

The Omega Theta Chapter at NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was recently awarded two awards from the national chapter for their efforts in Literacy Alive! Programming and Community Service Programming.

The awards acknowledge an extensive project that benefitted the people of Haiti, who are still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2021.

Nearly two years after the earthquake, thousands of residents remain displaced and left without a home. Recognizing a need, the Omega Theta Chapter mobilized and organized a drive to collect books and other needed supplies to help ensure the students in the country can continue to learn.

“We all collaborated on this, and we were able to have a donation center at the Kendall campus and our donation center here,” said Chapter Counselor Sandra Trotman, Ed.D.

The group collected thousands of books, hygiene items, bookbags, blankets, and more.

“We gave them over $75,000 US dollars in gifts. We catered to pregnant mothers who had to come to the hospital with preeclampsia or eclampsia. So we provided gift bags, bags of love’ to these victims (babies, children, and their mothers) of the earthquake”.

The group did not complete the task alone, and they relied on the help of the local and NSU community.

“It took coordination, but it paid off because they received all these items. This highlights how the power of education can change children’s lives, one book at a time. Having children learn to read is an investment that lasts a lifetime,” said Chapter Co-Counselor María Grethel Méndez, Ed.D.

The group is no stranger to accolades for their philanthropic efforts – they have won dozens of awards over the years for various projects, including 12 literacy awards.

Posted 04/23/23

Doctoral Grad Accepted to Presidential Management Fellowship

Justina Jackson, Ed.D.

A doctoral graduate student from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has recently been accepted into a prestigious federal fellowship program.

Justina Jackson, Ed.D., was recently selected as a finalist for the Presidential Management Fellows Program. The highly competitive program lasts two years and attracts thousands of applicants with advanced degrees from different disciplines. Of 10,000 applicants, only 850 were selected.

During the fellowship, students will work to be appointed to a U.S. Government Agency for training, and at the end of the program, they may also be given the opportunity to become a permanent civilian employee.

“I was just completely shocked. And I was just like, ‘This is your moment. This is your season. This is God opening the door for you. I’m walking in that door and totally appreciative for the opportunities to even get this far,’” Jackson said, describing her feelings upon learning she had been selected.

Jackson graduated with her Ed.D. from NSU in 21’ and her Masters in Social Work from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 13.’ She is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Leadership.

Jackson was told about the program by one of her mentors, and after applying, she interviewed, and then in February, she learned she had been selected as a finalist.

Having her doctorate in Education, Jackson initially aimed to be appointed to a position with the Department of Education, but a former PM fellow with an education background reached out to her and proposed working for the CDC. He described how his skills proved to be uniquely useful in that field, so Jackson considered doing the same.

“I applied for all the opportunities with CDC,” she said. “The jobs range from being a health scientist to a technical grant writer to public health analyst and policy analyst.”

All-in-all, Jackson said she hopes she can make meaningful change with this opportunity.

“I really want to be transformative, not just transactional,” she said. “If I could wave a wand, I would like to be some sort of policy analyst that can actually change the lives of students in a better direction, families in a better direction, whether that’s public health, social services — whatever it is, just actually making a genuine impact and not just surface level.”

Congratulations Justina Jackson! Fins up to you!

Posted 04/09/23

Students Film Police Recruitment Commercial

A group of criminal justice students from NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and members of NSU’s Sociodrama Club: Stage for Change, had the opportunity to take part in a unique project: filming a commercial.

The students, along with School of Criminal Justice Associate Professor, Grace Telesco, Ph.D., were asked by Davie Police department to film a recruitment commercial.

Telesco is no stranger to working on short productions, having worked on commercials while serving as an officer with the New York City Police Dept and produced the instructional film “Run, Hide, Fight” detailing what one should do when in a mass shooting situation for the NSU Community.

Telesco enlisted the help of several Sociodrama/Criminal Justice students, including Shannon Hetzel, Laila Horton and Alejandro Suarez, along with her work study students. She also enlisted the efforts of Dan Deien, who also helped with “Run, Hide, Fight.”

The theme of the video is “Live, Work, Play,” and includes beautiful shots of South Florida while demonstrating the day-to-day activities of Davie Police.

”We’re attracting, you know, a particular candidate to come to the police department to live here, where it’s beautiful and there’s so many things to do,” Telesco said.

The students are working in all stages of the creation: pre-production, production, and post-production.

“The writing of the script, the creation of the call sheets, location selection, site surveys – they are responsible for all of that,” Telesco said. “Scheduling all of the cops, scheduling and interfacing with the Davie Police Department, to get all of these cops on the set to do what we want them to do, so that it looks real not staged.”

The work doesn’t stop there. The students have helped in other aspects of the commercial as well, including sound, lighting, flying drones and even acting cameos.

Many are just learning this for the first time. The students all volunteered for the duties and despite the hard work, they are enjoying the process.

“We’ve had a lot of an awful lot of fun, but it’s been an awful lot of work. It’s early hours, get up call is at 8 in the morning, go all the way until 4 with very little breaks and they aren’t getting credit,” Telesco said. “They love working together. They like working with me. We get excited about a lot of stuff so that’s why they’re in it.”

The commercial is expected to be completed in the coming months.

Fischler Professor Publishes Paper on Special Needs Patients

Maria Levi-Minzi, Ph.D.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Professor Maria Levi-Minzi, Ph.D., has recently published a paper focusing on the dental treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs.

The paper, called “Parent Perception of Child’s Behavior during the Initial Dental Visit among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross Sectional Study,” came out of a study that was done by two pediatric dental residents.

“Children with special needs have different sensitivities and it can be hard to get any child to sit in a chair,” Levi-Minzi said. She gave some examples of the things these patients may struggle with, including sensitivities to tastes, smells, and sounds, as well as the tools shoved in their faces.

Levi-Minzi serves as a program evaluator for grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grants supported the study which examined if parents knew how to best manage their child during the first dental visit. Researchers looked at two different outcome measures and an analysis score. They would then try to complete a certain number of tasks during every dentist visit, such as cleaning, and would look at those scores to see if a certain patient or parental characteristic was associated with a higher or lower score.

“We’re really just trying to understand if there were certain types of patient or parental characteristics that contributed to doing better at a dental appointment,” Levi-Minzi said. “If we could find out more information about that, then maybe we could try to help providers to better understand how to prep people for the appointment.”

According to the research, it was revealed that Hispanic individuals completed fewer tasks during dental appointments, something that made researchers question whether it was part of a language barrier or cultural aspect. Something else researchers picked up on was that the older the child is, the better the child did in the dental appointment. With information like this, the hope is to train dentists for more successful visits.

Currently, Levi-Minzi is working on two other papers related to special needs children.

To read the full paper, click here.

Posted 03/14/23

College Sponsors 2023 BCPS Caliber Awards

NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) served as one of the sponsors for the 2023 Broward County Public School Caliber Awards.

The event, which took place on Feb. 3, recognizes, and celebrates outstanding teachers, principals, assistant principals, and school-related employees in the Broward County School District.

FCE&SCJ served as a platinum sponsor for the event and provided a $5,000 scholarship to the four respective winners of the Teacher, Principal, Assistant Principal and School-Related Employee of the Year.

At the event, the college was represented by Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Kenneth Rockensies, Ed.D, and Director of Graduate Admissions, Leonard Jacobskind, Ed.D.

Rockensies was given the opportunity to deliver a two-minute speech to voice the mission of the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. He also thanked the Broward County Public Schools for their continued partnership with the college.

This is not the first time the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has served as a Platinum Sponsor for the Caliber Awards. The college has previously served as a sponsor going back to as early as 2018.

Posted 03/12/23

Fischler Professors and Alums Publish Book Chapter Together

A team of three professors and two doctoral alumni from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice have published a new book chapter.

Gina Peyton, Ed.D.; David Ross, Ed.D.; and Vanaja Nethi, Ph.D.; and two doctoral graduates: Melissa Tara Sasso, Ed.D.; and Lucas A. DeWitt, Ed.D., recently published the chapter “Proven Best Practices in Guiding Non-traditional Dissertation Students to Degree Conferral in the United States.” It was published within the Palgrave and Macmillan book by editors Mulligan, Ryan, and Danaher, titled “Deconstructing Doctoral Discourses: Stories and Strategies for Success.”

Peyton said the theme of the book focuses on the different perspectives of many of those involved in the education process, including the students, advisers, and dissertation chairs. Furthermore, their chapter discusses methods of helping non-traditional doctoral students who are often professionals with full-time jobs and family commitments.

“They have all these other challenges that they’re faced with in terms of work life and family life, and aging parents, sick children or being ill themselves. Students have all these other obstacles that they’re dealing with, in addition to trying to complete an Ed.D. program. Our perspective is how do you work with this type of population? What do they need in terms of getting through the process successfully?”

One thing that Peyton said that helps these non-traditional students is having a strong support system.

“The literature supports that if you don’t have a good dissertation chair-student relationship, the success rate is not as high. Between all the resources that we offer, and then the individual attention that we offer our students, is why we have a pretty successful rate with our students who graduate.”

Peyton was also grateful that she and her colleagues were able to include the point of view of two recent doctoral graduates who previously went through the process. “Drs. Sasso and DeWitt wrote a lot about what they needed as well as provided the necessary steps to succeed, for example a solid support system and good time management skills.

According to Peyton, students, advisors, and dissertation chairs could all benefit from reading this book.

“It gives all of our experiences.”

Congratulations Peyton, Ross, Nethi, Sasso, and DeWitt! For more information on the book chapter, click here.

 

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